According to a criminal complaint, in November 2005, Houser’s former husband reported to Janesville police that he had been to her trailer and found “a mess and at least one dead animal.”

Janesville police officer Doug Johnson went into the home with code enforcement employees and found a litter box with 4 inches of feces in the kitchen and piles of cat feces and vomit on the floor. He described the stench as “overwhelming.”

Johnson also reported finding a dead ferret and a dead chinchilla in separate cages. It appeared that no food or water was available for the cats or the caged animals.

Rock County Humane Society workers responded to the scene and recognized that the cats had been adopted at the shelter. They stated that the cats’ conditions seemed to have “deteriorated” since they left the shelter.

The Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Lab performed autopsies on the two animals, according to the criminal complaint. Veterinary pathologist Karen Woods said the ferret died of starvation and noted the condition of the chinchilla suggested starvation as well.

When the officer asked Houser about the animals’ condition, she suggested that someone had poisoned the ferret and the chinchilla.